Hope is a Waking Dream
by pharmtechgrl71
Summary: Set between seasons 2 and 3. Melissa Sheppard is alone in the ZA, but she was alone before the dead owned the earth. She prefers it that way. Boy, is she pissed when she gets back to her cabin one night to find it's been taken by strangers.
1. Chapter 1

Hope is a Waking Dream

Chapter One

Melissa trudged through the woods back to her cabin. Carrying critters was weighing her down. She was exhausted and considering just going to sleep when she got back instead of taking time to cook. She could see the cabin through the trees, but was still too far away to see the smoke coming from the chimney. That cabin had been a Godsend. Whomever it belonged to must have been one of those doomsday preppers. The fully stocked basement had cans and boxes of food covering the walls from floor to ceiling. She had been very lucky in that there hadn't been many dead ones around. Whoever owned this cabin must not have made it there in time, because it was locked up tighter than a drum when she found it. Before the cabin, she had slept in trees and small caves she had found. She only had two hunting knives and a 9mm Beretta, so catching food had been difficult. She hated using the gun because it attracted those things. By her estimation, she had been there for a month, maybe a month and a half. She had begun to think that she was the only human on the planet left breathing, until she cleared the tree line and saw a vehicle parked by the door of the cabin.

"What the actual fuck?" she said to herself and crept closer to the vehicle. She took out one of her knives and held it at the ready. As she approached the automobile, she noticed that the interior of the cabin was bathed in candlelight and there were shadows moving inside. She steps quickly around the vehicle and sees two more behind it along with a motorcycle. Must be a damn family reunion, she thought. She worked her way around the cars to the side of the cabin trying to look in the boarded up windows. She could hear whispers inside, but couldn't understand what they were saying. Suddenly she heard the front door squeak open. She peered around the side to the front. She could tell someone was standing there, but she could not tell what he looked like. It was definitely a man, that fact she knew without question. He was tall and had something bulky hanging at his back. She could smell cigarette smoke and saw the cherry as he inhaled. She watched carefully as he just stood there looking out into the woods. Soon, he moved to sit on the steps. He unstrapped the monstrosity from his body and laid it beside him. Another man came out the door and sat next to him. Neither said a word for a while until she heard the first man say something about watch duty and hunting. The other man stood up and patted him on the back as he went inside. She saw the man visibly flinch at the contact, but he did not move from his spot on the steps.

She took that opportunity to continue her trek around the cabin. She had taught herself to be stealthy, not just for hunting and avoiding the dead ones, but also to avoid any breathers, if there were any left. There weren't but a couple windows in the back. The cabin was small with two bedrooms, a kitchen, and the living area with a fireplace. Melissa glanced through the boarded windows as she passed, mainly concentrating on anything that might be outside with her. She hadn't heard a sound since she had moved to the backside of the cabin. As she turned the corner, she ran straight into a brick wall. Well, it felt like a brick wall. Whatever it was, it knocked her clear onto her ass, her knife flying out of her hand. As she was falling backward, she thought maybe she had missed the corner and run into the cabin itself. However, when she looked up, she saw the man, the man with the monstrosity, and he had it pointed at her head.

"Who the fuck are you?" the man shouted at her.

"Who the fuck are you?" Melissa replied. "You're the one committing a home invasion!"

"I asked you a question bitch! Now get your ass up, slowly, and give me your weapons." He growled.

"I ain't giving you shit motherfucker! Get your goddamn circus and get the fuck out of my home!" she yelled, not caring now if it brought the dead. Maybe she could get them to take care of her visitors so she wouldn't have to spill blood herself. The dead never showed, but the cabin did empty. At least four people poured out of the front door, guns and knives ready. The other man she had seen that night came over to stand next to the one who was ready to kill her.

"Daryl, what the hell is going on?" he asked.

"Stupid bitch thought she could sneak up on me. Was coming around the back to attack us."

"Whoa whoa whoa," Melissa said. This miserable little shit wasn't just trying to take her home, he was gonna get her lynched. "You hold up one damn minute asshat. If you think that ya'll can come in here and take my place and me not fight you, you're fucked in the head!"

"You've been living here?" the other man asked.

"For at least a month, maybe more. Bet you didn't find a damn bit of anything in there either. Only shit that's left is the shit that's too bad to eat. Now, I appreciate the fact that ya'll need food and shelter, but you got vehicles. Get in them. Drive away. Sleep in them. They will protect you. Just. Get. The. Fuck. Outta. Here.

"Hold on a minute," the man says. "We could stay here together. We can help you. We have numbers. Daryl here is our hunter, he provides for us. We can work together. We have children, my wife is pregnant. Please, let's work this out. My name's Rick Grimes."

"Rick, what the hell are you doing?" the maniac asked, obviously pissed off that he hadn't been given a direct order to kill.

"I'm thinking about my family Daryl. I'm thinking that Lori and the baby will have a better chance if she doesn't have to give birth in a car or the woods." Rick said. "What's your name?" he asked her.

"Melissa Sheppard," she said. She looked over the small crowd gathered. Her heart was racing. She didn't know if it was anger or anxiousness. She hated people. Before the world went to shit, she had chosen to be alone. After her parents died, she had no family left. She chose to stay away, made a concerted effort not to be 'sociable'. People can hurt you. They will hurt you. Best keep your distance. "Listen, ya'll can stay inside tonight. It's gonna be a tight squeeze, but I'm sure ya'll are used to that. I'm also pretty sure that you've already got all your shit set up in there." She threw her rabbits to the ground at Daryl's feet. "If you're a hunter, you'll know what to do with those. Just stay out of my way."


	2. Chapter 2

I apologize. I forgot to mention that I am co-writing this story with DarylDixon'sLover. Go read all her amazing stories! Shout out to my first guest reviewer on this story. YOU ROCK! I hope that you can continue to enjoy this. It is very special to me. So, guest, this one is for you! Also a very special thank you to Daydreamer003 for the favorite! Here ya'll go! Enjoy!

Chapter Two

Melissa stormed passed them and into the cabin. Sure enough, they had their shit scattered everywhere. She stopped cold when she realized that there were eyes on her. She looked around a saw a petit blonde girl, a taller brunette, a skeletal pregnant woman with a young boy beside her and a grey haired lady. They looked at her as if she was one of those feral children found in France. She just growled at them and walked back into the room that she had taken as her own. She could hear Rick and Daryl talking to the others, but she wasn't paying attention. The room was dark as she approached. She flicked her zippo, but it was too late. She tripped over something big and landed on her ass, again. Goddamn mouth breathers and their shit! She picked herself up off the floor and carefully walked over to the dresser that was in the corner. She took a blanket out of it and stepped over the shit on the floor and back out into the living area. She just looked at them, all watching her. They had to have been talking about her; she was the latest impediment to their safety. She had no interest in them or what they thought of her. She just walked right passed them and through the front door. Grumbling to herself, she laid down on the front porch and pulled the blanket over her body. Fall was coming and it was starting to get chilly at night. Tomorrow she was setting down rules. Rule number one: She's getting the bed back. She doesn't care whose stuff is in there either. She's had this place for herself for too long to let this happen.

Everyone just watched her walk out the door. Rick just shook his head as Daryl plopped down on front of the fireplace. "So, she's been here by herself the whole time?" Lori asked.

"No, not the whole time. Around a month she said," Rick replied.

"Maybe we should leave, give her back her home. We shouldn't be here if she doesn't want us here." Carol said.

"She said we could stay tonight, and were gonna talk about it tomorrow. We are gonna convince her that we need to stay, that Lori and the baby are safe here. We were able to convince Hershel to let us stay at the farm."

"Rick," Hershel said, "I should have allowed you to stay in my home much sooner than I did. We might not have suffered as many loses as we have. However, I thought I was protecting my family. This girl has no one to protect but herself. Self-preservation is a strong motivator. Maybe I should talk to her, or maybe Carol. This girl is hostile and she will not take kindly to your persuasion. She needs to be dealt with by an empathetic person. She is not used to having people around and does not deal well with it. There's really only one of us who can see through her eyes."

Recognition and trepidation flashed across everyone's face as they realized who Hershel was talking about. That conversation would be a nuclear explosion. Those two had already gotten off on the wrong foot; neither would tolerate the company of the other long enough to resolve anything. If their fate was dependent on his people skills, they were out on their asses. He, however, either wasn't paying attention, or was trying to avoid the topic. He just continued to stare into the fire, watching the rabbit cook. No one was willing to approach him with the idea, he'd already had one confrontation tonight, and nobody would risk another. He was still stewing about what happened earlier with the girl. Everyone silently decided that the conversation was over for the night and headed to bed. Once he felt everyone was asleep, he stood up and walked to the front window. He watched her dark figure laying on the porch. He heard everything Herschel said, and whether he had a point or not, he was not about to negotiate with this girl. He would rather sleep in the trees every night than kiss this bitch's ass for a roof over his head. He understood that Rick was thinking of his family, and that he considered the entire group his family, but Daryl did not. Daryl had lost his only remaining family to these arrogant assholes who didn't even know what it truly meant to survive. He refused to do it; he refused to barter for those people. He would tell Rick in the morning, and if he had a problem with that, so be it. Daryl Dixon wasn't anyone's bitch.

The next morning, Melissa woke up early to go hunting. She wanted to get out of there before any of them woke up. She knew they would give her the bleeding heart, we're all human, can't we all get along speech. Although she did have concern for the unborn child, she had none for the adults responsible for it. She folded the blanket she had slept under and placed it on the rocking chair in the opposite corner. She quietly walked around the house to the side where she had encountered Daryl last night. Looking on the ground, she finally found the knife she had dropped lying a couple of feet away from the spot where her ass had landed. Sheathing it in her boot, she headed out into the woods. She had been out for at least an hour when she found her first squirrel. For some reason, the critters were scarce this morning. As the squirrel paused on its way up the tree trunk, she released her knife and it hit the creature square in the middle. Unfortunately, an arrow went flying straight into its head at the exact same moment. "Son of a Bitch!" she said to herself as she heard footsteps approaching behind her.

"Nice shot." He said, almost pleasantly. He strode passed her to the tree, yanking out his arrow and her knife. When he turned around to face her, the squirrels on his hip shook. That's where they went, she thought.

"You've taken almost all the food in the woods for yourself dumbass. That one is mine," Melissa said between clinched teeth.

"I got more people to feed, dumbass. You can have this one though; you earned it, seeing as how your skills haven't got you nothing so far. I won't make you starve." Daryl said, full of himself.

"I'm really having a hard time not killing you right now," Melissa hissed. "You people have taken my home, my security and now you're taking the food out of my mouth. You're as bad as the dead ones, except they're easier to get rid of."

"Hey, I'm not doing jack shit to you bitch! Just trying to survive, like you. These woods are pretty damn big. No reason why you can't go a little further out. Besides, I was up and out a lot earlier than you were. You didn't even stir when I came out the door and walked right past you. If you want to survive much longer, I'd suggest you pay better attention to your surroundings. I could've slit your throat while you were sleepin', then I wouldn't have to worry about your whiny ass. If it was up to me, we would've been outta here last night."

Melissa was enraged. She staked right up to Daryl, "Who the fuck do you think you are talking to me like that! I've survived this long because I am capable, I know how to take care of myself and, up until now, I've been able to avoid douche bags like you and your friends! I didn't ask for ya'lls company! I didn't invite you here! I let you stay because I didn't really have a choice. I am not being nice to you. Ya'll took from me just like every other fucking worthless human on this planet. I'm not asking for your protection or your help! I don't need you and you certainly don't need me. I gave you your one night of shelter. When I get back to that cabin, ya'll better not be there, or I swear to shit I'll burn that fucker down with all ya'll and your shit in it!"

Daryl just stood there, stunned out of his mind. Of all the women he had ever encountered, she was the fucking meanest and dumbest of them all. He grabbed her by the arm and put his face right in hers, "You ain't gonna do a fucking thing to those people. They are under _my_ protection. If you breathe in their direction, I will take you out and not regret it. I didn't want to be here, I didn't want to stay, but I ain't the leader. I was alone for a long time before I met these people, I can handle it just fine. They can't. You are not gonna scare us or threaten us. We will stay here as long as Rick says we will. If you don't like it, find a tree to sleep in." He let go of her arm and walked away, back toward the cabin. Stopping only to drop her knife and throw the squirrel in her direction.


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you for all the favorites and follows. They make me happy!

Chapter 3

She just stood there with her mouth wide open, watching Daryl walk away. She barely registered the squirrel land at her feet. She didn't dare move until she couldn't see him anymore. For some reason her anger had lessened. What the fuck just happened? He actually touched her, he got in her face and wasn't hesitant about it. People had always been wary about getting near her, most thought she was crazy and avoided her at all costs. In the last fifteen years of her life, another human hadn't touched her. She could still feel the anger in his grip and looked down to see the red mark that would soon become a bruise. Yet, her anger did not return. After about ten minutes of confusion, she picked up the squirrel and her knife and headed back to the cabin. When she arrived, the old man and the blonde girl were sitting on the front steps. They didn't look unfriendly, so she thought she would give them a chance. She approached them slowly. When she reached the bottom step, she spoke. "My name is Melissa. I apologize for my behavior last night. I've gotten use to being alone and I don't care for people much. Ya'll took me by surprise." Both looked at her with soft, caring eyes. The old man spoke. "My name is Herschel. This is my daughter Beth. We appreciate you letting us stay here last night. I would like to make an apology myself. I am sorry we scared you. We would never hurt you and I understand your wariness of strangers. Being alone isn't easy, especially now."

"Thank you," Melissa said quietly. "It's not you personally. I don't know any of you. I've been alone for a long time and I never cared for people much. Never met any that were good. But I haven't given ya'll a chance. You can stay here as long as you want, but don't expect me to be social. Don't plan on making me a part of your group."

Beth stood and put her arms around Melissa's neck. The second time in one hour someone has touched her. It didn't hurt this time, but she didn't know how to respond. Turns out, she didn't have to, because Beth quickly let her go. She smiled her sweet, innocent, happy Beth smile and Melissa tried, but failed, to return it. "Thank you," Beth said. "I'm gonna go tell everybody. They're gonna be so relieved." She quickly ran up the steps and through the door.

"You'll have to forgive Bethy. Since we had to leave the farm, she's missed the stability of walls and a roof. She's still hopeful in all this. If you need a light, she is it."

"She seems like a very innocent girl. I bet you are a wonderful father. You've protected her very well. I hope that she never loses that. I hope that your group can keep her safe."

"We try to keep everyone safe, Melissa. Rick is our leader and he has done many things to keep his family safe and secure. Although we are not all blood related, that group inside is every bit family. Maybe we can keep you safe too. We would love to have you as a member of our family."

"Thank you, Herschel. That's very nice of you to say, but I don't think everyone in your group would agree. I don't think I would feel comfortable being around this many people for long; and I certainly don't think they are comfortable around me at all." Melissa sighed, thinking about her encounter with Daryl earlier in the woods. Something about that bothered her; something about him bothered her. "I've made a bad impression, but some of yours have too. You can't blame me for being hostile, especially when you're hostile toward me."

"You're referring to Daryl, I assume." Herschel said, with a smirk on his face. "He is an angry man. He has not had a good life, before or after the turn. He's lost people that he cared about and blames some of us for it. We are very lucky that he has decided to stay with us. He's a strong man but doesn't relate to others very well. He's a little like you, I think."

"I would rather avoid him," Melissa stated. "Honestly, I would rather avoid you all, but I don't think that's possible anymore. Like I said before, don't expect me at dinner every night. I'll stay out of ya'lls way if you'll do the same for me." She stood up and took her squirrel and knife back behind the cabin, hoping to be alone. The old man seemed to be nice, his daughter, however, had gotten on her nerves. She's probably perfectly fine child, but Melissa was afraid she would puke a rainbow at some point. As she rounded the corner of the cabin to the back, she heard him talking to someone. She didn't stop or pause. She wasn't gonna cower around this asshole. If he wanted to leave, she would give him a boost out the door. He was talking to the grey haired woman. They were sitting next to a fire where the rest of the squirrels were cooking. She quickly and quietly passed them and went over to a big oak tree where she sat against the trunk to skin her squirrel. She could hear the two of them talking in muffled voices and then the sound of a door slamming. The rustling of leaves caused her to look behind her to the grey haired woman walking toward her. "Hello. My name is Carol. Thank you for letting us stay."

"I'm not letting you stay. Your muscle isn't giving me a choice. I won't bother ya'll if ya'll don't bother me. Just don't think this is permanent." Melissa said.

"You'll have to overlook Daryl. He's a little, well, he's abrasive and not very friendly. But he's gotten better. He's not as bad as he used to be."

Oh my God, Melissa thought. He's mellowed? "I would love to overlook him. I'd prefer to overlook all of you, but you've made that hard. I can handle him, if that's your concern. I've known men like him; they tend to think I'm a stupid bitch. I'm alright with that though, he'll find out different, it he keeps pushing me."

"Daryl is still learning how to deal with people." Carol said and sat down in front of her. "He's not a social person. He only ever had his brother, and he lost him a while back. We're not bad people, we'll help out, do whatever needs to be done. We want to earn our place here."

"You have no place here. No offense, but I'm not gonna pretend to accept this situation. I am resigned to it. I can't fight all of you. But, I will not pretend to be a part of your group. I'm not your host and ya'll aren't my guests. You saw something you wanted and you took it, without regard to anyone or anything. Good people don't do that."

Carol was stunned. The girl had a point. "If you had been here when we found it, we would've let you be. We never would have set up and got comfortable. We thought we had found a place where we could rest, a place to feel safe for a while. We've been through so much in the last few weeks, and we're all just scared. This cabin was a haven for us. I hope that you can forgive us and forgive Daryl. He's brash and surly, but he's a good protector and provider. He cares about all of us, even though he denies it. I hope that we can work things out between us. "Then she stood up, giving Melissa hesitant smile and headed back to the cabin.


	4. Chapter 4

A big thank you to all my followers **wickedclownsmile, krissyg49, walter-needz-luv-2, kyzhart, AlanisK, Daydreamer003 and hideher.** Ya'll rock! This is not my best and I am struggling with this story. _Not Desperate _is my obsession right now and I have been spending my time with it. I will have another chapter of this one up around New Years. Please forgive this shit chapter. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Chapter 4

That stupid old man and that stupid old woman were trying to get to her, trying to get her sympathy. She had no sympathy for anyone. These people probably lived wonderful lives before all this. They had families, pets, and dinner at the table together every night. She had no idea how that felt. That fucking moron with the bow probably even had a good old country family lifestyle growing up in some shack in the woods. She sat under that tree long after she had skinned her squirrel. She would make her own fire soon; she would not share with them, that would give the wrong impression. She looked around at the other people, just milling around. Maybe they'll forget she even exists, everyone else had been able to do that. She saw that kid walking around alone, the mother nowhere in sight. The others just standing around and didn't notice he was there. She just watched him; he had no weapon that she could see. How are these dipshits still alive? She stood and walked toward him. She may not give a shit about the adults, but the kid is a different matter. "Hey, you." Carl turned at the sound of her voice. "Where the hell do you think you're going without a weapon? In case you don't know, there's danger in the woods." Melissa said handing him the knife she didn't use to skin the squirrel. "Take this with ya. Do you have a purpose to going out there or are you just wondering around?" Before he could answer, she heard, "I'm gonna give him a tracking lesson. He'll be just fine, he'll be with me."

"Does his momma or daddy know that?" She tried, so hard, to be civil.

"His pops does, ain't none of your business though. Didn't think you gave a shit about any of us anyway." The redneck said harshly.

"You? No, I don't, but he's an unarmed kid. You, of all people, Mr. High and Mighty, should know better than to let a kid loose unprotected." She tried, so hard, to stay calm.

"His momma don't think he's old enough to handle a weapon." That's why I brought him this." The redneck produced a nice size hunting knife, almost like her own. "I ain't stupid, no matter what you think. I ain't gonna risk losing him or getting him hurt. Damn been through that already. I can keep him safe. Gonna teach him how to take care of himself in case something happens."

"Fine. He's in good hands. I'll leave ya to it." As she turned around to go back to her tree, she heard, "My name's Carl. You can come with us, if ya like. I'm sure there's something you can teach me too. I mean, you've been out here by yourself for a long time and you're still alive. There's gotta be something ya know."

She turned around and saw the annoyed look on the rednecks face. "Well, Carl, my name is Melissa and I do have some advice for you. Be very afraid of strangers, and don't get lost in the woods with crazy people. You never know what they'll throw at you."

Daryl looked at her and couldn't decide if she was being a bitch or a smart ass. He decided the latter because she wasn't screaming. "That's right, Carl. Ya might be trying to nail a squirrel running up a tree and almost get stabbed by someone instead. That's why _I'm_ taking ya out, instead of some crazy person."

"Melissa's not crazy. She's just not used to all of us yet." Carl said to Daryl. "She can come with us, please?" Daryl looked to him, exasperated. He loved Carl; he was a good kid, and he'd had a lot of shit piled on top of him. "If she wants ta. Don't much care. Her decision."

"Please, Melissa?" Carl begged.

Damn, she thought, this day just gets better and better. They're all ganging up on me. She had no problem putting an adult in their place, but not a kid. She couldn't hurt a kid's feelings. "Don't really know why ya want me to go, but okay, I'll go. I don't know how in the hell I'm gonna enhance your little lesson, but I'll do it."

They headed out through the woods, Daryl in front, Carl behind him and Melissa in the back. They walked for about five minutes before Daryl stopped them. He bent down on one knee and motioned for Carl to join him. "What do you see?" he asked the boy. Carl just looked at the ground for a few seconds and then said, "The leaves look messed up and a little flat. Something walked right over them."

"Yep," Daryl replied. Melissa went over to look. Standing above them she looked at the ground and said, "It's a deer, baby probably. Only parts of the leaves are crushed flat. An adult deer would've crushed the whole thing." Carl and Daryl looked at each other, Carl waiting for Daryl to confirm or deny. "She's right kid. She knows her shit." He said to the boy. He looked at her and shook his head, little smirk on his face. "Okay, let's follow the tracks; see what we can get for dinner."

They continued for a good two hours until they found a small creek. Their steps light, they approached with little noise. Carl was the first to spot it, drinking from the water. Daryl turned to them and put his finger to his mouth as if neither Melissa nor Carl knew to stay quiet. They crouched down behind the trees and Daryl got into position with his crossbow. He aimed carefully, studying the deer for sudden movement, breathed in deeply and released the bolt. A perfect, silent kill, a heart shot. The deer fell where it stood and Daryl released the breath he had been holding. Looking around the three hunters stepped from behind the trees and approached the animal.

"Now what do we do?" asked the boy.

"We gut it and drain the blood from it. We'll bury the innards so it won't attract no walkers." Daryl replied as he took his hunting knife from its sheath.

"Walkers?" Melissa asked.

"That's what we call them; the dead things." Carl said to ease her confusion.

"That's about the stupidest thing I've ever heard." She looked right at Daryl. "You do know that not all of them walk, right? You've seen them without legs, right? That's not a very good description on the whole. Bet you came up with that one, didn't ya hick?" She said laughing.

"Dumbass bitch. I knew it was a bad idea to bring you with. Don't ask again Carl, 'cause she ain't coming out here with us." He finished gutting the deer and handed the parts to Melissa. "Bury these. Make yourself useful." She bit her tongue and went to dig a hole. She didn't know that Carl had followed her. "I think my dad came up with that name, but I don't remember, it was a long time ago. Daryl's a really cool guy once you get to know him and he's a lot friendlier than he use to be."

"That's the second time today I've heard that," Melissa said and turned to Carl. "I don't think he wants me to know him. What I've met of the rest of ya'lls group seems nice, but he's a loose cannon."

"Do you think my dad would trust me with a loose cannon? Daryl is the most stable person I know aside from Hershel. He's saved us all over and over. He hunts for us, makes sure that Carol eats, and that my mom is take care of. My dad doesn't talk to her anymore, so Daryl makes sure she's eating too and Hershel watches the baby." Melissa didn't know what to say.

"He's known ya'll for a long time. Hershel told me ya'lls like family. Those are the things family is supposed to do for one another. I'm not good with people, Carl. I don't know what to say or how to act. Everything I do and say pisses that hick off. You seem okay though and so does your dad."

An hour after the deer gave its life for their dinner, they headed back to the cabin. Daryl was carrying it on his shoulders, each hand holding a set of legs. The walk back was quiet, but Melissa was beginning to think about what Carl, Carol and Hershel had said to her today. The things they had told her about him kinda made sense and kinda didn't. The others had seemed nice; she couldn't understand why they would want him around if he were just an angry dick all the time. They wouldn't expose the kid to that, would they? He had seemed to get along with him and the kid had seemed comfortable and familiar with him. Maybe, he was just conning them all. He wouldn't be the first person to pretend to be something he's not to get something he wants. She would keep an eye on him. If he was going to be staying in her home, she needed to know who he really was.


	5. Chapter 5

A big thank you to my new followers **Neverland123 **and ** . Enjoy!**

Chapter 5

Maybe she wasn't as ignorant as he had hoped she was. She seemed like she could track pretty well and she's quiet enough in the woods. Before he had come out to fetch Carl, he had been in the cabin with the others and everybody was talking about her; Herschel and Carol talking about how all her fierceness was just a defense mechanism. He'd heard that about himself when he was younger. That's what his high school guidance counselor had said about him. He'd had a lot more anger then, but he still didn't understand it. Apparently, she had given in and was letting them stay, as long as they left her alone. Not a fucking problem, Daryl thought. There should be some good hunting around here. He had done pretty well this morning, maybe he could find a deer later when he went out with Carl. Before he walked out the door, Carol stopped him and asked if they could talk. They walked into the second bedroom; the one Melissa had been sleeping in, until last night. "She's not giving in to us Daryl. She's not fighting anymore because she feels she can't win against us. She said she's resigned to it, not accepting it. I know you've just been trying to protect us, but you don't need to do that from her. She won't hurt us unless we threaten her. Be nice Daryl. Herschel seems to think that the two of ya'll have something in common, besides your aggressive personalities. You've grown in these past months, you're not as angry as you were at the quarry. Since Merle's been gone, you've become a better man. You've moved out from under his shadow and you can be the man you've always wanted to be. You're a compassionate man Daryl. We've all seen it, when you were looking for my little girl. You didn't have to do that, there was no obligation on your part. That was by your own volition, you made that choice. We'll need to make sure that girl knows we won't hurt her or take from her. She's skittish, just like you were. Only you know how to get through that. Remember how you felt at the quarry when you thought you had to fight us all the time? That's her now. You can make this better for all of us if you try."

"What do ya'll want from me woman?" Daryl said, exasperated. "She don't wanna have nothing to do with me, not after this morning anyway. If this is up to me, then we're all fucked." He stands and walks out the door, leaving Carol sitting on the bed. On his way to the backdoor, he can see Rick and Herschel talking and looking at him. He speeds up and gets out the door before the two can bat an eye. What does he see as he goes outside? Her, talking to Carl. She had better not be talking shit to him, he'd put her in her place, again. As he got closer, he heard her ask why he was out by himself. Before he knew it, the three of them were in the woods together. She had identified the tracks as a small deer and she had been right. Maybe she does know her shit. She has been completely alone since the beginning of this thing; at least that's what she had told everybody. At least she was quieter than the boy was; he stomped over every leaf and branch on the ground. She wasn't chatty either, benefits of being alone for so long he guessed. She probably kept her thoughts to herself, just like him.

Finally, he could hear a creek up ahead. Hopefully, dinner had stopped for a drink. When Carl spotted him, or her, he had shushed them and assumed the position. Aiming and taking a deep breath, he let the bolt fly. Perfect shot, duh. It hadn't been a bad afternoon after all, considering the company, until she opened her mouth. He didn't give a shit about what Carol had said or what Rick or Herschel thought, he'd be damned if he was gonna let an arrogant little bitch talk to him like that. Guess they all were fucked.

The walk back to camp was excruciating, but thankfully silent. Carl could sense the anger in both of them. He had tried to talk to Melissa, but he didn't think he did a very good job. He heard Herschel tell her that she and Daryl were alike, so he thought if they could have time to talk and get to know each other, they would get along. Maybe he could get Beth or Carol to help, they knew about relationships. He had heard his mom once say that opposites attract. Maybe she's right, 'cause these two had the exact same personality and were at each other's throats. When they got back to camp, everyone praised Daryl for the feast he had brought them. Melissa had been walking behind them for some time and it took her ten minutes to catch up. When she appeared at the tree line, Carl ran up to her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Thank you so much for going with us. Can you take me out again tomorrow?"

"Daryl doesn't want me going with ya'll anymore, remember?"

"I meant just you and me. Dad will say it's okay. You helped keep me safe; you're a good tracker. Daryl will vouch for you." He said excitedly.

"Daryl will not vouch for me. He's so pissed right now, he wouldn't put me out of my misery if I was bit. He'll make sure your dad doesn't want you anywhere near me."

"Not if I get to him first. Daryl's real sensitive 'bout people thinking he's stupid. Maybe if you said you're sorry, he won't be mad anymore." Carl said and gave her puppy dog eyes.

"I'll think about it." She said and went into the cabin. Carol and Lori were busy cutting the meat for dinner, well Carol mostly; Lori was trying not to wretch. "So, how did he do?" Lori asked her.

"I think he did a great job. He needs to work on stealth, he has heavy footsteps, but he's gonna be a great tracker. He's very observant. Notices things you wouldn't think he did. Got to be careful around him," she said and laughed despite herself.

"Believe me," Lori said, "I've already learned that. We washed some clothes in that brook half a mile up. There are clean ones for you if ya want to get out of those nasty ones."

"You washed my clothes?" Melissa questioned. "Why?"

"We were washing ours, made sense to do yours too. Would've been ridiculous not to." Lori replied. Great, Melissa thought, now I owe them.

"Thank you. That was thoughtful of you. It's appreciated. I'm gonna go up to the brook and wash up a little. Probably won't be more than an hour. If I can do anything to help ya'll out, let me know." She said that last part reluctantly, but she meant it. She'd never been indebted to anyone her whole life, she wasn't going to start with these fuckers. She took the clothes that were laying on the bed she had been sleeping in until recently and gabbed a towel and her knife on her way out the door. She reached the brook in ten minutes and realized she was alone. She had thought maybe the redneck had made his way down here, but if he had, he was gone now. She placed her clothes and towel on a tree stump by the brook. Not much water to work with, but enough to get clean. She looked around her one last time to make sure she was alone and began to undress. Shirt and bra first, then socks, boots, pants and panties. Her wash never took too long, this was a bad spot to be caught naked if any dead ones came by, live ones too for that matter.

He crouched behind the trees and bushes on the opposite side of the brook. He had just got his clothes on when he heard her very faint footsteps. She was silent, he'd give her that. He was well hidden, he assumed, if he hadn't been, she wouldn't be stripping in front of him. Good God, she was taking off her fucking clothes, all of them. Well, he thought, that's unexpected. He just sat there, crouched to the ground like a damn salivating dog. He hadn't seen a woman's body since before the world went to shit, long before the world went to shit. Those girls didn't look like her. There had barely been a handful of them, but he remembered that none of them had tits like that. They were as big as his fucking hands, and his hands were pretty fucking big. Even though he could see her ribs, she had the sexiest curves he's ever seen. Hell, none of those girls had curves at all. The way her body dipped at her hips and rounded out at her ass made his dick twitch. The brook was way too small to submerge in, so he could see all of her as she moved her hands over her body. He had to get out of there before he got too hard, but he just couldn't control it. Fuck it, he told himself. No one's gonna know, she can't see him and as long as he can keep quiet, he wouldn't attract walkers.

He sat on his knees in the dirt and leaves. As quietly as he could, he unzipped and pulled his dick out already rock hard and leaking. He pumped himself hard and fast watching her hands rubbing those beautiful tits, running over her stomach and moving between her thighs. He came in record time. He was never able to last too long, with or without a woman, but this was outrageous. He closed his eyes tight and bit his lip as he spilled all over the ground. He took a moment to calm his heartbeat and slow his breathing. He tucked himself inside his pants before he looked back to where Melissa was bathing. Faster than he thought he could, he grabbed his bow and started running to the other side of the brook when he saw a walker step out from behind the tree Melissa had her back to.


	6. HiaWD chapter 6

Thank you to all the new favorites and follows: **uglybarbiedoll, Darkness-Will-Come, and GirlIncognito99**. I hope you enjoy this one and hopefully, I will be able to update again in the next day or two.

Chapter 6

Melissa heard a thump and a squish and turned around. The first thing she saw was a dead walker lying face down not two feet from where she was standing. The second thing she saw was an arrow sticking out of its skull. The third thing she saw was Daryl Dixon standing in front of her naked body. She didn't know which thing to be pissed about the most. She almost forgot she was naked, but the look in Daryl's eyes quickly reminded her. "Turn the fuck around! I gotta get my clothes dumbass!" She yelled and stomped out of the brook to get her things and went behind the tree to dress. When she disappeared, Daryl came to his senses. "What the fuck do you think you were doing?"

"Getting damn deer guts off me! What the fuck you think?"

"Didn't mean that! I meant why the fuck were you doing it without your weapon close? Good damn thing I's watching you or you'd be dinner!"

Melissa stepped out from behind the tree and gave Daryl a thoughtful look. "You were watching me?"

"Holy fuck woman. I's watching out for ya, not watching ya. Not everything is about you. Good damn thing though, or I'd be putting you down right now."

"Your right, I was distracted. Should've had my weapon closer, should've done a few things different. You saved my life. Thank you." Daryl just looked at her stunned. He just knew she was gonna start laughing at him or say something to humiliate him, but she didn't. She just took her knife from the rock and walked to him. "I mean it Daryl. No one's ever saved my life before. Maybe everyone's right about you. And don't worry, I was just joking about you watching me. I know you wouldn't do that." As she walks past him, he reaches out and grabs her wrist. "Why do you think that? You don't know what kind of man I am."

"Don't matter what kind of man you are," she said meekly. "I'm nothing to look at." He releases her and she continues toward the cabin. Why was she disappointed? Did she want him to see her bathing naked? Good God no! She would've been humiliated. She was indeed nothing to look at. No man had ever seen her body and no man ever would. Daryl kept a few feet behind her as they walked to camp. As they got closer, the smell of roasting deer filled the woods. Melissa's stomach stated growling. She had never eaten the squirrel from this morning, not that it would've made a difference, but by now she was starving. She knew no matter how much she wanted some she would not take any. It was a matter of principle at this point. She would lose what little ground she held with these people if she gave in so soon. Now she had to worry about Daryl. He seems the kind who would want to flaunt the fact that she had been caught off guard and had to be saved by the brave bowman. If he did, she would not deny it; she couldn't. She had been distracted thinking about him. Thinking about how different he was around her than those in his group. If they stayed here indefinitely, would things change between them? Could she leave her aggression to the side to get long with him, with them all? She immediately went straight into the cabin and to her bedroom. Closing the door behind her, she stood against it for a while. She could hear them inside the kitchen preparing what they had. She laid on the bed and thought about how much her perspective had changed over the past twenty-four hours.

Daryl went around to the back where the fire was and saw Herschel sitting on one of the logs with Beth, Maggie, and Glenn. "Well hello Daryl. You found something wonderful today. God has provided for us all once again and used you for your purpose."

"Uh, yeah, listen, can I talk to you for a minute?" Daryl asked. Herschel could tell something was bothering him.

"Of course, son. Let's take a walk." They walked towards the area where Daryl, Carl, and Melissa had gone hunting earlier. "Ya know Daryl, I didn't mean to embarrass you back there, but I believe that God sent you to this group. They need your skills and you need their companionship."

"Yeah, I know. I've changed. That's kinda what I wanted to talk to ya about. You talked to Melissa this morning, didn't you?" he asked the old man.

"Yes, after she got back; a few minutes after you returned. Why?"

"I saw something and I don't know what to think about it," he said.

"What did you see, Daryl?"

"She let her guard down. If I hadn't been there, she'd have got bit. Doesn't seem like her. Don't know nothing 'bout her, 'cept what I've seen since last night. She's just not paying attention. Left her damn knife laying on a damn rock while she's playing around in the brook."

"She probably felt safe knowing that you were looking out, son. She's seen the way you protect us and felt confident you would do the same with her." Herschel told him.

"That's the thing though. She didn't know I's there." Herschel looked at him confused.

"Didn't both you both go out there to clean up? How could she not know you were there?"

"Don't wanna talk about that old man. She didn't know I was there. That's why I don't know why she'd do something stupid like that."

Herschel patted Daryl on the shoulder as they continued to walk. "She's had a lot to adjust to in the last twenty-four hours. She's had to do many things she hasn't had to do in a long time. She told me earlier that she'd been along long before all this ever started; she wouldn't say any more than that. I'm sure she knew what she was doing son. Your right, all we really know about her is what she's shown us. Maybe we should try harder with her. I remember back at the farm, after that little girl came out of the barn. You were a lot like her then, but Carol brought you back into the fold. Maybe you should show Carol how much you appreciate the effort she made for you and pay it forward. Bring that girl into the family. Show her the compassion that you were given. There is a reason she reacted the way she did when she found us here in her home and there is a reason why she is acting the way she is now. Most of us have tried to talk to her today and I know that you spent time with her too. Why don't you take her some of the deer she helped you catch today? She might give you the answers you're looking for if she feels she can trust you."

"Yeah, ya know I ain't good at that shit; talking to people, strangers. What am I supposed to say to her? How am I gonna convince her to talk to me like that? Especially after everything we've already said to each other?"

"Daryl, you'll figure it out. Just say the things you'd like to hear. Imagine what it would take for you to open up to someone in this situation. You'll do just fine. I have faith in you. Come on; let's get her something to eat."

Daryl walked into the cabin with a plate of deer, canned veggies, and a bottle of water. He knocked on the bedroom door, but got no response He slowly opened the door to see Melissa laying on the bed asleep. He sat the plate and the bottle on the table next to her and turned to leave. When his hand touched to doorknob, he stopped and looked back to the sleeping woman. Herschel was right, she had reasons just as he did, still does. It would be nice to have someone to relate to, someone who could understand his anger, his fear. Maybe their reasons didn't stem from the same cause, but anger is anger and fear is fear. He turned around and took a seat in the wood chair beside the door. He just looked at her and thought about what he had seen earlier, what he had really seen. Her body, her beautiful, sexy body. The way she touched herself, the way she was oblivious to his presence. He watched her like a peeping Tom and jacked off to her ignorance. He did feel guilty; maybe he should confess to her and ask her to forgive him. That would make her trust him, right? Hell, he didn't know. All he knew, right this second, was that he wanted to see her again. He wanted to walk over to her in that bed and touch her. His mind had wondered so far away, that he didn't see her eyes open. He didn't see her looking at him.

"Did you bring me food?" Melissa asked, shaking Daryl out of his daydream.

"Uh, yeah. Thought you'd be hungry and since you helped catch it, you deserve to enjoy it."

"Thanks. I wasn't really planning to eat, but I appreciate it." Daryl just looked at her, trying to find something to say that wasn't stupid.

"Do you usually leave your weapons out of reach when you take a bath?" Daryl asked her.

"Yes, actually, I do. I had something on my mind and was distracted. I'm usually very alert, very aware of my surroundings. You people have thrown me out of kilter. I don't have anybody to watch my back. I told you this morning, I've survived because I know how to take care of myself. Today was an exception and I can't explain it. I am grateful that you were there. You were right. I could've been dinner. I owe you my life. I've never been in debt to anyone before and I don't like it, but I owe you. If you ask me to play nice with you, I'll do it. I owe you an apology also. I didn't mean to imply that you're stupid or the things you say and do are stupid. I've never been able to talk to people right. Never know the right words to use. It' been a long time since I've had people to talk to and I'm out of practice."

"You don't owe me anything. We do what we do to keep ourselves and each other alive. I couldn't let you die, even if you've been nothing but a pain in my ass. And you don't owe me an apology for anything either. Plenty of people thought I's stupid before. Ain't none of them ever apologize for it, no need to hear it from you. Just eat your food and don't worry 'bout me. I'm going hunting again tomorrow, without Carl. If ya wanna come with me, I would't mind." He got up and walked to the door, turning back to face her before he walked out. "And you're wrong, what you said about being nothing to look at. You're wrong." He closed the door behind him and went to get his own dinner.


	7. Chapter 7

A big thank you to all who have favorited, followed and reviews this fic. Thanks for ya'lls support. Hope you enjoy this chapter. Let me know what you think.

Chapter 7

Melissa spent that night in her room, in her bed. She didn't sleep well though. She thought about what Herschel, Carol, Carl, and Lori had said to her. She thought about all the things Daryl had said to her. She was so confused by that redneck. She still wasn't sure about him, which him was the real him. However, she couldn't deny that if the man she saw by the brook and the man who brought her dinner was the real Daryl, she could accept him. Well, try to accept him. She had known these people for one day and her whole perspective was changing. She didn't know how to handle that. She had been forced to be alone, and then she had chosen it. Being alone was all she had known for the last fifteen years. She still wasn't comfortable with them being here, but part of her was glad that her self-imposed isolation was over, for now at least. She could very easily get used to the company, and possible companionship. She didn't want to get hurt. She couldn't let these people in and have them turn on her and leave her to die. She couldn't let them make her weak, make her forget that she was the only one who really cares about her.

Daryl spent that night on the front porch taking first watch. That woman confused the hell out of him. She was aggressive, yet he had been her vulnerable. He didn't know what pissed him off more, her attitude, or her beauty. He lit his second cigarette. Maybe Herschel and Carol were right. She was good at hunting and tracking, she could be an asset. She could be his companion, in the woods. He might be willing to give her the benefit of the doubt, if it would benefit the group. The group, he thought. Who would have ever thought he'd be this concerned about people who weren't his kin? Who'd have thought he'd find people who'd treat him better than his kin ever did? Daryl didn't want to admit it, but they made him feel good about himself. He still missed Merle, sometimes, but he couldn't think of ever leaving them. Regretfully, he depended on them too much now. He almost felt ashamed of it, but having people there people who'd have his back too, meant more to him than he could ever express. Maybe he could convince Melissa of that too.

When Rick came out to relieve him from duty, he quickly entered the cabin. Everyone was scattered on the floor, except for Lori and Carl. They had taken the second bedroom. He walked to the door where Melissa was sleeping He was tempted to look in on her. He knew he didn't need to. He knew she would probably be offended by it, so he just sank to the floor in front of her room. He didn't really feel protective over her; he now realized that despite what happened earlier, she could take care of herself. He just felt that spot was where he needed to be. Usually, he would find a spot by Carol, but tonight he felt differently. What Carol had started all those months ago, after Sophia had walked out of that barn, was beginning to affect him. He was feeling things now, feeling more than anger and shame. He would do what he had to, what was required of him, even if it put him out of his comfort zone. This group had forced Melissa out of hers; the least he could do was join her there.

The next morning, Melissa woke up before the sunrise. She grabbed her knives and her Beretta and opened the door. She nearly tripped over a sleeping Daryl. Actually, she kicked him in the arm. "Damn woman! Don't you know a better way to wake someone up?" he asked.

"Oh my God!" she exclaimed. "I'm so sorry! I didn't know you were sleeping there. Why were you sleeping there?"

"Only place left. This ain't no castle ya know," he replied half-annoyed.

"Do you still want me to go hunting with you? I mean, is that still okay?"

"Yeah, wouldn't have asked it wasn't. Let me grab my pack and we can head out." Five minutes later, they were headed into the woods, the sun just starting to rise. Melissa knew better than to start a conversation, but she really wanted an explanation for what he said to her last night, right before he left her room. Maybe she's better off not knowing. He was walking a few paces ahead of her and they hadn't found any tracks worth following, so they were settled with a few rabbits and squirrels. On their way back to the cabin, Daryl spoke. "You said you been alone for a long time. How long is long?"

"Depends on your definition of alone," she replied. "My parents were killed when I was thirteen. Drunk driver ran a red light and plowed right into them. Dad died instantly, mom went three days later. I became a ward of the state. Was only ever in one foster home, that didn't last long. They said I was too weird. They had two kids of their own and said I was creeping 'em out. It was just 'cause I didn't talk. I didn't speak for three years after my parents died."

"How come," he asked her. "Psychological or some shit?"

"That's what they thought, so I let them believe it. I just realized that there was no point in letting something in if it would eventually go away. Why invite people in if they're just gonna leave anyway?"

"Mmm," was Daryl's only reply. He had felt the same way most of his life. "So why'd you start talking again?"

"They were gonna send me to another foster home; I didn't want to go. I was able to convince them, somehow, to not make me go. I was almost seventeen. In a year, I'd be on my own anyway. So, I spent that last year on the streets practically. I'd go back to the state home a couple times a week just so they wouldn't send cops after me."

"So did ya drop out of school or something? You sleep on the streets?"

"Didn't drop out. I graduated on time. Wasn't about to put myself in a position where I couldn't take care of myself. I knew no one else wanted to. Did a pretty good job of it that last year. Got a job bagging groceries at the Kroger in town. Not much, but it kept me fed and when I turned eighteen, I had enough saved to get a shitty one-bedroom apartment. I had that job and that apartment until the shit hit the fan. And yes, I slept on the street when I had to."

"Mmm," was Daryl's reply, again. " I's in a foster home, couple of times. Merle, my brother, was in jail or in the army stationed overseas. Those didn't last long either. I's always sent back."

"Sent back where?"

"My old man. He'd stay sober long enough to convince some social worker he'd changed, but as soon as I got home, he'd get drunk and leave for days, or . . ." Daryl trailed off.

"I guess Herschel was right," Melissa said, stopping in her tracks. Daryl took a couple more steps until he stopped too.

"Right about what?"

"He told me that you and I are alike. That we have a lot in common."

"That old man don't know shit about me. Thinks 'cause he's old he knows everything." Daryl was thoroughly annoyed. He liked Herschel, he really did. Wished he'd been his dad, but he knew what he's trying to do and Daryl didn't want any part of that horseshit.

"Well, he don't know me either, but there's something he knows or sees. Them old people got special gifts. My great-grandma was a spell caster. She died not long before my parents and she taught me some stuff." She said and started walking again.

"You a witch?"

"No, I never tried those spells. Never had a need to. They were mostly for financial success and love. Thought I'd never have either so why bother?"

They were getting closer to the cabin and remained silent the rest of the way. Daryl had to admit, it hadn't been a bad hunt. She held her own and didn't whine and complain about anything. He suspected she wouldn't. When they reached the tree line, he took her kills from her and handed them off to Maggie and Beth, who were sitting by the fire. He saw Rick motion for him, letting him know they needed to talk. He was halfway there when Rick pointed behind him to Melissa and mouthed, "her too." He walked back and poked her on the shoulder. "Rick wants to talk to us," and craned his neck in Rick's direction. She agreed and followed Daryl around to the side of the cabin.

"How'd it go out there?" Rick asked them.

"Fine," Daryl said. "Nothing big out there, but we got enough for today if Lori don't go overboard." Daryl said and Rick chuckled. "She'll take what she can get. There's still some deer left from last night if she needs more." He looked at Melissa and said, "I don't think I've thanked you yet for your hospitality. It means the world to my family, and I think Carl has a crush on you."

Melissa laughed out loud, "He has a what! There's no accounting for taste, huh. He was just excited to go hunting yesterday, that's all." Rick and Daryl just looked at each other and gave a collective sigh.

"Anyway, I wanted to talk to ya'll about a run. Are there any towns close by that we could check out?"

Melissa thought about it for a second. "Yeah, there's a little place about twenty miles or so east of here. I don't know what it's called, but if you got a map, I could show ya where it is. I think there's a drug store/pharmacy, a small grocery store and library, I think."

"Good. Daryl, if you could help me organize it, we'll head out tomorrow. I'll grab the map and meet you by the cars." Rick patted his shoulder as he walked passed him.

"You gonna go to the brook?" Daryl asked her when he was sure Rick was gone.

"I was thinking about it."

"Want me to go with you? To watch for walkers, I mean. So you won't have to worry about it."

"Thank you, but that's not necessary. I'll be just fine."

"Ok. Imma talk to Rick. I'll probably be down there later myself. Just keep your eyes open. Don't wanna hafta keep savin' your ass." He smirked.

"Yeah, don't want to be a burden to you," she said, as she turned and walked away, half hurt, half annoyed.

Daryl felt like a giant ass. Stupid mouth; couldn't go a whole day without pissin' that girl off. She'd actually been nice to him, told him a lot of things she probably hadn't ever told anyone and he just took ten fucking leaps backward and shit all over everything. He'd go talk to Rick, then spend the rest of the day trying to figure out how to make it up to her.

Rick was leaning against Maggie's SUV when Daryl rounded the corner. "What's wrong with her? What happened? She looked pissed." Rick asked a shameful looking Daryl.

"My fault. Opened my damn mouth before my brain kicked in. Just can't talk to people Rick. I been trying, I really have. Herschel thinks that I can get through to her. Help her out with whatever she's got in her head, but I don't know how. She'd been trying too and doing a better job than me. I can't do nothing but fuck shit up."

"You talk to me just fine, and Carol and Carl and all of us. You're getting better at this Daryl. Ya'll are just too much alike is all. Now you know what it was like dealing with you at the quarry."

"Shit! I wasn't that bad, was I? Hell, I aint' never gonna make this work." Daryl said, aggravated.

"You'll figure it out, just give it time. Listen, about this run, I'm thinking Glenn, Maggie, you and me. If Melissa gives us the directions, we should be in and out within the day."

"Whose gonna stay here, in case something happens? We need someone here who knows what to do in case a herd comes through."

"Your right. I'll stay. Who would you feel comfortable with?"

Daryl thought about it and could come up with only one logical answer. "Melissa," he said. "If she's gonna draw the map, she obviously know her way around. She's tough, she's strong, and she's quiet. She'd be an asset."

"Alright, if you feel comfortable with it and she's willing, she goes too. Do you want me to tell her?"

"No," Daryl said, with a sick feeling in his stomach. "I'll tell her. I got to find a way to fix my shit anyway."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The longer he waited for her to get back, the more anxious he got. He decided to go down to the brook, he needed to wash up, and it had been long enough to where she was probably on her way back anyway. He grabbed a set of clothes that Carol had given him yesterday and headed out. He still didn't know what he was going to say to her, but whatever it ended up being, it was just gonna get him in more shit anyway so it probably didn't matter. It was a good thing that Daryl had such a good memory and sense of direction, because his thoughts had turned to what had happened yesterday, and not the walker part. He hadn't passed her yet and the thought that she might still be down there, naked, was occurring to him. As he got closer, though, he tried to clear his mind, be more focused. If there had been one walker yesterday, there could be another or more today. When he got close enough to hear the rippling water of the brook, he heard something else too. It didn't sound like any walker he'd ever heard. It sounded like singing.

When she got to the brook, she was beyond pissed, but she didn't know who she was more pissed at, Daryl or herself. She had told him more this morning than she had_ ever_ told those state psychologists. She felt so stupid for that. He was being nice to her and she had, incorrectly, assumed it was because he was a nice guy. He had revealed as much to her and now she was thinking that it had all been lies. He's just trying to ease the difficulty of being with new people. He was doing it for them, those damn people who had taken her solitude. She quickly undressed and stepped into the water. She stayed more alert this time; she didn't want Daryl to waste his time or energy saving her worthless ass. This is what happens; this is why she should've never let her guard down. Goddamn that stupid hick, she thought. When she felt she was clean enough, she stepped out and took her clothes from the rock where she had left them. After she was dressed, she grabbed her knife and put it in her lap. She didn't want to go back to the cabin now, so she just sat on the rock and kept dwelling on what had happened. He smirked when he said it. Maybe he was just joking. If that was a joke, he sucks at it. She continued to sit there, stewing over it for God knows how long when a random thought struck her. She remembered a song her mom had sung to her when she was a little girl. A song she had not heard or thought of since she died and Melissa began to hum. Eventually, the words poured from her mouth.

He stood still and quiet, listening to the words and the voice. He hadn't heard that song since he was a little boy. His momma would sing it to him on nights his father had left in a drunken stupor after having beat the shit out of one or both of them. He fought those memories with everything he had. He'd heard about some people being able to block out bad memories, but he never could. The song mainly made him think of his mamma. The most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. He could still remember her long, black hair shining in the moonlight through his window on those nights. He was entranced by the voice that was as beautiful as his momma's was. He took a few steps and through the clearing he saw her sitting on the rock. He was too captivated by the scene in front of him to be relieved that she was fully dressed. When the song stopped, he stepped forward. "You got a real pretty voice," he said shyly.

"Holy shit! You scared the hell outta me!" she exclaimed, jumping of the rock and dropping the knife that was on her lap. "Good Lord, God himself wouldn't know your were coming!"

"Sorry. I didn't want to interrupt you. It sounded nice," he said and looked directly into her eyes.

She cleared her throat, "Thanks," and quickly picked up her knife. She had to get out of there, _now_. As she walked passed Daryl, his arm shot out and he grabbed her by the wrist stopping her. "I'm sorry for what I said. I know it sounded bad, but I didn't mean it the way you took it. I'm not good with people either. I'm sorry."

He had this hangdog look on his face. Maybe he's a good liar, but he's a shit actor. She could see genuine remorse in those beautiful blue eyes. "You don't have to apologize. I'm not gonna kick ya'll out just 'cause you put your foot in your mouth. Ya'll can still stay."

"I ain't apologizing for them. I had a good time hunting with you this morning and I didn't want to ruin it. Didn't mean to piss you off. I'm sorry."

"You can stop saying that. I understand that you regret what you said, but you don't have to. I'm the one who took it wrong. It's half my fault, okay?"

"Okay." He accepted that. He didn't want to start an argument. "I want to talk to ya about that run tomorrow. Stay here, we can talk while I wash."

"You sure about that?" she said surprised.

"Yeah. You can watch my back. Maybe you'll have to save my life this time." He smiled and let go of her, walking to the brook.

"Sure," she said a little apprehensive. "I'll just face the trees and give ya some privacy." She sat back down on the rock with her back toward the water. She could hear him moving behind her, could hear his zipper as he took off his pants.

"I's thinking that since you know your way around, you could go with us on the run."

"Why do you want me to go?"

"Just told ya dumbass. Anyway, Rick ain't' going. He's gonna stay back and keep watch, protect the group." She could hear him in the water now. "It's gonna be Glenn, Maggie, me and you. That's if you're willing to go."

"Okay. I'll go. At least it'll keep ya'll from getting lost." She heard him laugh.

"You're probably right. Nobody know this place better than you do, huh? Maybe you'll end up saving all our asses tomorrow," he said and stepped out of the brook. His eyes had never left her form sitting on that rock. He never turned his back to her, not knowing if he could trust her not to sneak a peek. By the time he had finished though, his doubts about her were gone. She had dutifully sat on that rock, watching the tree line with her knife by her side at the ready. She hadn't as much as turned her head in his direction, for which he was grateful. He didn't imagine she'd be interested in looking anyway. "You can turn around now," he said once he was fully dressed.

Her mind flipped when she saw him. His hair was dripping wet and his clothes stuck to his still wet body. Her mouth suddenly went dryer than a desert. "Maybe I will save ya'll lives. It seems that I owe ya one."

"I already told ya once, ya don't owe me shit. Don't want nothing from ya if it's just 'cause ya think its owed. I'd rather die if it only means that much to ya."

No! That's not what I meant!" she said desperately trying to fix her fuck up. "I just meant that what you did, saving my life, meant everything to me. I want to do something that means a lot to you. I'm still trying Daryl, I really am. I wanna trust you, all of you, and I want you to trust me. I don't know how to do either of those things."

"I do trust you Melissa," he said and took a step closer to her. "I'm trying too and already fucked up once today. I asked ya to go with us tomorrow 'cause we all trust ya. I just don't want ya to think we're the enemy, that _I'm_ the enemy, 'cause I'm not. I say stupid shit. You say stupid shit. Took me a long time to be able to talk to those people. They didn't like me much when we first met. I's with my brother then. He was an asshole; didn't care if anybody liked him or not. He'd do shit on purpose to make people uncomfortable. He was an addict too, high most of the time. That's why they left him behind. They all thought I's just like him, but I'm not, I don't wanna be. He's too much like our old man. They say I've changed since Merle's been gone, and I guess I have. They ain't kicked me out yet. That's a good sign, right?"

"This is real hard for me," she said. "I just don't want to get hurt. I don't want to put my trust in you and get hurt. I miss people. I don't want to be alone no more, but being alone is what I'm good at."

"That's why you need to come with us tomorrow. You can see how we operate. Get to know more about us. They're good people. None of us are gonna hurt you. When it's time for us to move on, you can come with us. I could use someone like you to help with hunting. Two can bring back more than one. Just think about it." He picked up his crossbow and walked off.


	9. Chapter 9

Thank you to all my followers, you mean a lot to me! I hope you like this one, I do.

Chapter 9

The next morning, everyone was up bright and early to help get ready for the run. Carol and Lori were making food packs and Glenn, Rick, and Daryl were loading up the SUV with weapons. Melissa watched it all. She noticed how they didn't speak, just knew what to do. They could've been doing it blind folded. They were a well-oiled machine. Maggie walked up to her with a box in her arms. "I think there's enough food in here to keep us if we have to stay out overnight. Hope we don't though."

"So, is there a list or do we just grab what we find?" Melissa asked her.

"We do have a list. Actually, we have two. One has all the necessities, the other is the 'ladies list'. That's why we always try to have at least one woman on each run. We can't always though, but the men are getting better at knowing what we need and what we like. After we get all that stuff, if there's time, we'll grab extras, luxuries if there are any. Once we get there, we'll break up into groups, me and Glenn and you and Daryl. We'll split the lists between us. Could you put this box in the back? I'm gonna see if I can find some extra bags in case it's a good haul."

Melissa took the box of foodstuff and walked to the SUV where Daryl, Glenn, and Rick were talking. "Maggie thinks there's enough shit in here to keep us all for the night if need be," she said as Daryl took the box from her, brushing his hands against hers as they made the transfer.

"Hopefully we won't have to stay out, but it's always good to be prepared. It's happened more times than I like," Daryl said putting the box between a couple of rifles and his crossbow. "Saddle up folks. We need to head out." Maggie drove with Melissa in navigator position, while the boys sat in the back. It took a little less than an hour to reach their destination. They hatched a plan before exiting the vehicle. Glenn tore each list in half and each person took a section. Daryl and Melissa would go to the pharmacy while Glenn and Maggie would try the small grocery next to it. When they were done, if they had time, they would drive out a little farther to check on a small housing development that Melissa had told them about. As the couples went their separate ways, Daryl led Melissa to the drug store's front door. "I'm gonna tap the window. If there are any in there, it'll draw them out. We put 'em down and go shopping." A couple minutes after he placed the edge of his crossbow against it, three walkers appeared in front of them on the other side of the glass. Before he could blink, Melissa was up and unsheathing her knives. Daryl scrambled to catch up with her as she busted through the door. She had a knife in each hand and stabbed two at once, while Daryl took the last one out with a bolt to the brain.

"Holy shit girl! That was some damn fine work. Never seen anybody do that before."

Embarrassed, she hung her head shyly. "Thanks. We should probably get the stuff." She took her half of the 'ladies list' and went in search of feminine products. Daryl went straight to the pharmacy. He threw every bottle he found in his bag, pain meds, antacids, and cold medicine. There wasn't much behind the counter except stuff for bad hearts and diabetics. Meanwhile, Melissa was putting boxes of pads and tampons in her bag. She found razors, shaving cream, body wash, body lotion, shampoo, and conditioner. There was only one thing left on her list and it was something she knew nothing about. She stared at the boxes on the shelf. There were only a few left, but they were all different. "Why the hell are these on the list?" she mumbled to herself.

"Glenn and Maggie." Melissa about jumped out of her skin.

"Goddamn it! Why do you always do that shit! Do you want me to have a damn heat attack?"

"Uh, no, just answering your question. They're for Glenn and Maggie. They's the only one's fuckin' around here," he said, his ears flaming red.

"Well, what kind to I get? I don't know nothing about these things. Do they come in sizes? Shouldn't they be doing this themselves?" He stepped up, standing next to her and looked at the boxes. He grabbed all of them and shoved half of them in her bag and the other half in his. "Don't have to worry about it now," he said and walked toward the door. Before she could turn around to follow him, they heard gun shots coming from outside. They ducked down behind a display and Daryl brought out the bow, cocked and ready. Melissa put her pack on her back and drew her knives. They crawled to the door and looked outside. When they heard Maggie scream, they launched themselves out the door. Walkers surrounded Glenn and Maggie. The more they killed, the more came after them. Daryl and Melissa quickly went into action, stabbing and shooting as many as they could. This herd was nowhere near the size that took the farm, but it was much more than the four of them could handle. "Get to the SUV, NOW!" Daryl yelled and they all started running, shooting and stabbing as they went. Once they all were inside the vehicle, Maggie floored it, heading towards the direction the walkers had come from; which also happened to be the direction of the housing development.

They drove for thirty minutes before they reached the development. They had lost the last of the herd fifteen minutes ago. The houses had been brand new when the world went to shit. Some of them were not completed, though they saw a few abandoned cars; maybe they could find one that was furnished. There was no way they were making it back to the cabin tonight. By tomorrow, the herd would be out of their way. They drove down two streets before they found one that looked acceptable. Daryl and Glenn cleared the lower level while Maggie and Melissa took the top. Maggie found the only walker; a young man, college age looked like. He had been locked in the bathroom of the master suite. Melissa helped her fling the body out the window. The body exploded on impact and when Daryl and Glenn heard the thud of the body, they ran outside. They looked down at the putrefied remains of the walker and then looked up at the window. The girls were standing there smiling and waving like goofballs.

"What the hell did ya'll do?" Daryl yelled up at them.

"We saved you boys the trouble of dragging his stinky, decayed corps downstairs." Maggie answered. "You're welcome." Daryl and Glenn just grinned and looked down at the bits of walker strewn about the yard.

"At least the smell should keep them away from us tonight," said Glenn and went back inside with Daryl. After about an hour, Maggie and Melissa has filled two large duffle bags with toiletries and clothes, while the boys had done the same downstairs with non-perishable food and a few weapons. They all met in the living room, where Daryl started a fire in the fireplace. Glenn passed around various cans of food and they ate in relative silence around the fire. Glenn and Maggie cuddled together, feeding each other like fucking lovebirds while Melissa and Daryl sat with enough space between them to fit another person. Daryl was feeling very uncomfortable with the situation and could tell Melissa felt the same. She kept looking down at her lap, trying to scrape food from an empty can. He stared at her until she looked back at him. He shook his empty can at her and stood up holding his hand out. She took his hand and they walked into the kitchen together. The cans went into the trash and neither of them moved to go back to the living room. "Are they always like that?"

Daryl half smirked, "Yeah, whenever they get the chance, they're all over each other. They don't usually do anything in front of other people, but I guess they forgot we was here."

"Must be nice to feel that," Melissa said looking way from Daryl. "Being so involved and connected to another person that you forget the world exists. I wish I could forget the world exists." Daryl just looked at her and didn't speak. He wanted to say that he felt the same way, that he wanted the same thing, but he didn't.

"I'm gonna take a walk around the perimeter, ya wanna go? Nobody should be forced to watch that shit in there."

"Just let me grab my knife and we can go."

"I'll get it. You stay here."

Glenn and Maggie didn't even hear them leave. As soon as they were far enough from the house, Daryl spoke. "Ya doing alright? I mean, we're not making ya uncomfortable or nothing are we?"

"Not really. Uncomfortable isn't what I'd call it, more like nervous."

Daryl stopped walking. "What ya mean, nervous?

"I just mean that I didn't know what to expect with ya'll. I never expected that display in there, and I still don't know what's gonna happen. I'm glad I came with ya though. I guess I'm starting to get used to ya. Ya'll ain't so bad."

"I'm gonna do whatever I have to do to keep everybody safe. I believe you can take care of yaself though. After seeing ya go all Rambo in the pharmacy, I may get ya to be my bodyguard."

She smiled. "I'd consider it. I don't come cheap though."

"Never imagined you would," Daryl said and shyly looked at the ground. "Come on, best finish up and get back inside. Gonna let the lovebirds take first watch and we can get some sleep before it's our turn."

"Remind me to leave out one of those boxes of condoms, just in case they're not tired when it's our turn."

Daryl laughed. "Don't worry, I won't. Times like this, I wish I still had my old headphones to drown out that God awful noise."

Maggie and Glenn were in the kitchen when they returned. Daryl asked Glenn if they could talk and they went into the living room. "What were ya'll doing?" Maggie said and wiggled her eyebrows.

"Checking the perimeter. Everything looked good." Melissa replied, oblivious to Maggie's meaning.

"I'm glad that you and Daryl are getting along now. He's not so bad if you can get to know him. He's a different man. The one I first met would just as soon shoot an arrow in your ass as look at you. He talks to you. I know he does. The only other people I've seen him talk to like that are Rick and Carol, but he's known them longer than us. You're new and he already seems comfortable with you."

"I don't think he's comfortable, but he's trying, and so am I. I'm starting to like ya'll, I guess that includes him too." Just then, Glenn and Daryl walked into the kitchen. "You guys are not gonna believe what we just figured out," Glenn said excitedly.

"We're not guessing. Just spill it Glenn." Maggie said impatiently.

"The couch pulls out! We don't have to sleep on the floor tonight and we don't have to worry about getting stuck upstairs if something happens. We can take sheets from one of the upstairs bedrooms to put on it, and pillows and blankets!" They thought he was gonna explode.

"It's okay sweetheart," Maggie said sarcastically. "It's gonna be tough on all of us, but we'll survive. We just have to be strong." Daryl and Melissa giggled under their breath as Maggie put her arms around Glenn supportively.

"Fuck all of you!" he said. "Maggie, you and I are gonna take first watch." He grabbed his rifle and machete and stalked off toward the door.

"Aww, poor baby. I'm gonna go see if I can cheer him up." Maggie was out the door faster than a NASCAR driver.

After Melissa and Daryl made the pull out couch into a bed, they extinguished their lantern and lay on their backs next to each other. "I think I've missed out on a lot. Ya'll really are a family, ain't ya?"

"I guess, as much as we can be. We look out for each other, protect each other. It's not a bad situation. I can understand you not being so sure 'bout things, being able to trust 'em. I didn't, for a long time, but Rick and Carol wouldn't let me go. I was gonna leave the group, but they kept bringing me back in. Rick gave me responsibility; no one's ever trusted me like he does. Guess he earned my trust and my respect too."

"It may not be so bad being a part of your family." She started to shiver and Daryl pulled the blanket over her shoulders."

"We'll take care of you, I promise. Won't ever let anything bad happen to ya. Better get some sleep. The lovebirds will be back in four hours, and then it's our turn. Gonna need to be alert." They turned their backs to each other and fell asleep. When Maggie and Glenn came in to get them four hours later, they couldn't contain their smiles when they found Daryl and Melissa on the fold out with their arms around each other.


	10. Chapter 10

Thank you for all the favs/follows. They rock my world. I hope you enjoy this one. I think you will. Let me know what you think.

Chapter 10

Melissa sat on the front porch of the house, while Daryl walked around. He walked the perimeter a couple of times and circled the house a few more. When Glenn and Maggie woke them this morning, they had both been horrified and embarrassed to find their arms wrapped around each other and Melissa's head on Daryl's chest. They jumped out of bed quickly, put on their boots, and grabbed their weapons. Neither of them acknowledged Glenn, Maggie or each other. As soon as they stepped outside into the early morning darkness, Daryl spoke. "You sit here. I'll walk." And here she was, still sitting and he was still walking. She was also thinking. She was thinking about how embarrassed she was, and still is. She was thinking about how much Daryl hates her right now. He hates her because she disgusts him. He's disgusted by the thought of her touching him; why else would he have moved away from her so fast that he almost fell out of the bed. She's afraid that she's gonna get called out for being the stupid, fat, ugly chick who thinks she's good enough for Daryl Dixon to want her in the same way.

He has never fucked up this bad in his life, not even when he was a kid. Even after a few months of bunking close to Carol, he never woke up with his arms around her. She's gotta be humiliated thinking that he planned this. After all his work, she's never gonna trust him, or the group again. He could tell that she didn't like having people near her physically, much less having their hands and bodies on her. He wasn't a touchy feely person himself and understood how that felt. He didn't mean for it to happen and he didn't want it to happen. He didn't want her to hate him for something that was out of his control. She deserved better than having some ugly, beat up, dirty redneck's hands on her. Then he thought back to earlier. It seemed to him that he had known of their proximity to each other before they were woken up. Her smell in his nose, her hair on his arm. Something had made him aware of her, but he hadn't done a thing to change it. Maybe he thought it was a dream. Maybe he liked that dream.

He finally made it back to the front porch where Melissa had stayed, per his demand. He stood in front of her, but she wouldn't look at him, so he sat next to her on the steps. He took an almost empty pack of cigarettes out of his pocket and offered one to her. She delicately took the smoke from between his fingers and took a long drag. He pulled out the last one and lit it for himself. "I didn't know you smoked," was the first thing he said to her.

"I haven't since I was on the streets. But this seems like a good time to have one. I'm so sorry Daryl. I didn't mean for that to happen. I don't want you to be embarrassed by that. I'll make up for it, I promise. Just don't leave me here."

Daryl took a drag off his smoke and exhaled loudly. "Number one, you don't have to apologize for nothing. It was mostly my fault if anyone's. Number two, there's nothing for you to make up for and number three, we ain't leaving ya nowhere. I ain't leaving ya nowhere. I'm just getting used to ya. I want ya to stick around for a while. If anyone needs to apologize, it's me. I'm sorry. I think I was having a dream, but I ain't sure. I can't remember much about it. 'Sides," he breathed out heavily, "you should be waking up with someone better than me."

"Okay, I won't accept all of that, but I'm not gonna start a fight. I'm tired of fighting. I don't know what part of what you just said is true and what part is bullshit, but I'm gonna ignore it for now. Let's just forget it happened, okay? Besides, I don't think Maggie would've appreciated it being Glenn instead of you."

"Your right, except the bullshit part. I don't lie and I don't bullshit. I tell you something, it's the truth. You ask me a question and you're gonna get a true answer. If I volunteer information, it's no lie. You'd be smart to remember that."

"Alright, just remember that I don't lie either. You can trust me. Everything I say comes from my heart, but I've trained myself not to speak much truth. I guess that's why I don't talk much. Some people don't like to hear the truth and I don't want to make anyone feel uncomfortable."

"Mmmm, I feel the same. Took me a long time and a lot of pain to realize that the truth hurts less than a lie, if you can handle it. I don't like being lied to. I don't tolerate that," he paused and considered something for a minute. "If I ask you a question, you'll be honest with me, won't you?"

"Of course. As long as I know the answer, then I'll tell you. You have to answer a question for me in return."

"Deal. Okay, when I came up on ya the other day by the brook and you was singing that song, where'd ya learn it? Why were ya singing _that_ song?"

"My momma used to sing it to me when I was a little girl. She was always a big Beatles fan and she told me that this song had gotten her through a lot of tough times. She wanted me to know that there was always hope, that she always had hope that things would be better for me than they had been for her and that I would always have someone there for me when I needed them. That song is the strongest memory I have of her."

"Mmmm," was Daryl's only reply. She waited patiently for any more from him and when he offered nothing, she spoke. "Can I ask you my question now?"

"Sure, go ahead."

"That night, after you saved me from the walker, before you left my room, you said something. What did you mean by that?"

Daryl froze. He had forgotten all about that. He had hoped she wouldn't bring it up, maybe she hadn't heard it. He would be honest with her, but he hoped she would forgive him for his actions and his initial lie. "Which thing I said? I said a few things and don't remember half of it 'cause I's so nervous."

"You told me I was wrong about myself. That thing I said at the brook, you said I was wrong. Why would you think that? How would you know that?"

Daryl cleared his throat and wished he had the other pack of smokes in his bag. "I lied to you. When I said I hadn't been watching you at the brook. When I told you I was watching out for walkers. I lied. I had been watching ya. I saw ya washing up. I's scared you'd think I's some pervert who gets off on watching naked women." Shit, he thought, he had though. " I'm not and I don't. I ain't like that." Except in that situation, with you. "I's scared ya wouldn't like me if you'd known what I done. You sounded so convinced that I wouldn't do that, but not because I was a nice guy. Because I thought you was ugly or something. If that's what you think, then you are wrong. You're not ugly. Ya got real pretty eyes and pretty hair, and your body? I've never seen a woman that looked like you before. That's a good thing. You got a real . . .nice body. So, you are wrong. You're plenty good enough to look at." He stood up and grabbed his bow, "I'm gonna go in and get my other pack of smokes and take a piss. I'll be back in a minute."

As she heard the front door open and close, Melissa felt her eyes get wet. He never lied, except that one time. She had been watching him as he spoke, until she couldn't anymore. She didn't know what to say, or what to think. She was glad that he left. She didn't know how to respond. He probably didn't want her to respond anyway. God, what it must have taken for him to say those words. She wondered if it might have caused physical pain. He'd said that he wasn't good with words, but that's where he was wrong. He had just given her the most beautiful, most amazing words she had ever heard. In twenty-eight years, he was the only man to ever see her and after tonight, the first to put his hands on her body. Technically, he hadn't been touching her body, not her skin; but when she opened her eyes and saw him looking back at her, eyes wide and frightened, she felt the pressure of his big hands when they tightened around her.

She heard him come out the door and he walked past her and down the steps toward the edge of the yard. She could see the smoke from his cigarette floating in the air and could hear him pissing onto the street. He came back and sat next to her on the steps. He offered her another cigarette and his zippo. "Daryl, I don't know what to say. I know what I want to say, but I'm not sure how to say it. I've never heard those words before. There's always the possibility that you don't want to hear what I have to say." She was gonna give him a minute to decide what he wanted. He took her hand in his and linked their fingers together.

"Say what ya gotta."

"I'm not mad at you for lying about that. I probably would've freaked out if you'd a told me then. That wouldn't have ended well for any of us. I appreciate the fact that you were honest with me, no matter how embarrassed I feel about it. I still don't believe everything you said, but it's not because I don't think you're lying. It's because those things simply aren't true. I don't believe them. You are a good man Daryl, so good in fact, that you would say those things to someone you don't know, just to make them feel good; to give your family a chance to be safe. You can be a real asshole Dixon, but then again, so can I. I think I'm really starting to like you, all of you. I don't think I want to be alone anymore. I want a family again."

Daryl let go of her hand, "You've got one now. We ain't gonna leave ya and I'm not letting ya leave us. I'm gonna keep my eyes on you," he said and looked directly into her eyes. "We can watch out for each other, protect each other." He looked around and noticed that the darkness was disappearing. "It's almost dawn. Let's take one more walk around the perimeter, and then we can wake the lovebirds up." They walked side by side around the outer rim of the small neighborhood, Michelle glancing over at Daryl often enough for him to notice. "Do you have something else to say?" he asked and stopped in his tracks.

"I don't know. It's one of those truths that I'm not sure I should speak. I don't want to make you uncomfortable."

"Too late for that," he muttered under his breath.

"I liked waking up with you. I've never shared a bed with anyone before, not friends or family or . . . boyfriends. I really didn't ever have any of those. I just don't want you to be scared of me or feel awkward around me. I just don't want to mess anything up or make you mad. It was nice though."

Daryl didn't have a clue as to what to say. She thought that waking up in the same bed with him and having his arms around her was nice. She liked it. Well, he guessed that he liked it too. She had soft skin and hair. He already told her he thinks she had pretty eyes. Hell yeah, it had been awkward as fuck. He'd never woken up with someone in his bed, unless you count Merle when they was kids, which he didn't. The women he'd had were always gone before he's able to get his drawers back on. If Maggie and Glenn hadn't found them, he would have been willing to stay there with her. He would have been willing to lay with her, run his hands up and down her body, and maybe, just maybe, kiss her. Really, the only thing that made it awkward was the fact that Maggie and Glenn had caught them, that they had seen them. That was embarrassing, not the being in bed with her part. He wondered if he would ever get the chance to be in bed with her again. "Yeah . . . it was nice. I, uh, never woke up with anybody either." Daryl then realized just how alone they were. No Maggie, no Glenn. He took two steps toward her, which put him mere inches from her face. His hand moved to cup her cheek and without conscious thought, he leaned in and gently touched his lips to hers.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

They left the house around what Daryl said was mid-morning, maybe nine o'clock. Maggie drove, but Glenn had shotgun this time, so that left Daryl and Melissa in the backseat together. Neither had mentioned the kiss; her first and the only one he ever wanted to remember. They really didn't say anything to each other, making Glenn and Maggie a little suspicious but they didn't bring it up either. The ride was quiet and they only saw a couple of stray walkers on the way. They would steal glances at each other while the other wasn't looking. Sometimes they would just stare out their respective windows. Neither one knew what was supposed to happen now; neither wanted to go backward, but they didn't know how to move forward either. So, they just sat in silence, stewing on their newfound revelation, whatever that was.

When they arrived at the cabin, everyone came out to greet them and see if they were okay. Glenn and Maggie relayed the story of the herd and their stay at the house. Daryl and Melissa quietly unloaded the supplies and went about their business. When everything had been moved inside, Carol, Lori, and Beth sorted all the new things into piles and put them away where they belonged. Melissa had gone outside and was standing at the tree line behind the cabin. She could see Rick and Daryl standing by the vehicles talking. Daryl looked at her, watched her as Rick kept talking to him. Every now and then, he would agree with something Rick said, but had stopped listening to him the second he saw her walk outside. Rick waved his hands in front of Daryl's face. "Are you okay? Daryl? Are you listening to me?"

"What? Yeah, I'm listening. I'm gonna go hunting. Wanna come with me?"

"Ya'll just brought in enough food to last a few weeks. You should stay here and rest, maybe sleep for a while."

Daryl shook his head. He just needed to think. He really didn't want to talk about what had happened with Melissa, but he thought that Rick could help him, maybe give him some advice. "Naw, I'm fine. That baby's gonna need some protein, and your wife needs to eat. I'm surprised she don't fall forward from the weight of the baby. Let's go kill us a deer."

"Alright, if you're gonna be okay. I'll go get my gun and knife and tell Lori and Carl we're going out for a few hours. You gonna tell Melissa we're going?"

"Why would I do that? She'll know what we're doing. Don't see why it matters anyway. Hurry up, let's get outta here."

When Rick walked away, Melissa stood at the tree line and looked back at Daryl. She saw nothing in his expression. She wanted to say something to him, but couldn't think of anything that wouldn't just be a poor excuse to hear his voice. Soon, Rick came back outside and he and Daryl walked into the woods together. She was sad to see him leaving, but knew what he was doing. He was confused and needed to think about things. She had stuff to think about too. She thought about the kiss, his touch, his voice. She was so lost in thought she didn't hear Lori and Carol calling her name. "Melissa, honey, are you okay? Got something on your mind?" Carol asked sweetly.

"A lot actually, but I wouldn't know where to start." She replied and took a seat on the ground as the women were organizing laundry. None of them said a word at first, the older women waiting to see if the younger would trust them with her worries. "How long has your group been together?"

"Since this whole thing started," Lori began. "Carl and I was with Shane, Rick's partner, when everything went to hell. He got us out of town and on the highway to Atlanta. That's where we met Carol and her family." Just saying his name made her breath hitch. "From there we found an abandoned rock quarry and set up camp. Our group was bigger then, but we still have Glenn and Daryl."

"We met Herschel, Beth, and Maggie on their farm when Carl was injured and taken there," Carol added. "We were safe until a massive herd came through. We lost a lot of people that night."

"I'm very sorry to hear that. I've been alone since this whole thing started. I don't really know what it's like to lose people to those things. I don't know if being alone was any better than that though."

Changing the subject, Lori spoke up. "How did the run go? We know about the herd, but other than that, what happened Melissa? I know something did." She said as she gathered the clothes from one of the piles. "Come with us. Help us wash the clothes and we can talk. Whatever happened, we'll try to help."

Carol and Melissa each took a pile in their arms and went inside to get baskets. As they walked toward the brook, Melissa told them about the time she spent with Daryl while on the run. "We spent a lot of time alone once we found that house. We did perimeter checks together and had watch together. We . . . fell asleep together. Maggie and Glenn caught us. I think I scared him, but it felt nice. I've never been close to anyone and I'm not sure how to talk to him. We're doing okay, getting along. He seems like a good man. He cares about all ya'll. He keeps telling me that ya'll are good people and that when it's time to move on I should go with ya. He said he _wants_ me to go with ya, and I want that too. We talked a lot and . . . I don't know. He said some things, I said some things."

"What things honey? Did he say something bad? Did he yell at you?" Carol asked.

"No, he didn't yell. He told me something and I still don't know how I feel about it." She wasn't sure if she should reveal his confession to these women. They knew him better than she did, but she needed to know more about him and his motives. "When we were on watch, he told me that he'd seen me bathing at the brook that day we went hunting with Carl. He saved my life then. If he hadn't been paying attention, I'd be dead. He told me that I was pretty. He saw my body, he watched me from behind the bushes on the other side of the brook. He said he didn't tell me 'cause I'd think he was a pervert or something. I don't know what to think. Why would he have done that?"

Lori and Carol just looked at one another. They didn't know what to say to her. Carol cleared her throat and said, "I don't know honey. I know he'd never hurt you or take advantage of you. He's not that kind of man. Daryl has honor, he has a code he lives by. None of us knows anything about him from before, the things he did, but his brother was a bad influence. We do know that. Since Merle's been gone, I think he's starting to realize he can be whoever he wants to be and he's trying to be the kind of man that can be trusted and relied on. I don't think he set out to spy on you or watch you. I don't think he's had a lot of experience with women and seeing you like that may have scared him a little."

Lori continued that thought. "He is a good man. He's been taking better care of me than my own husband has. Daryl makes sure the baby and me get enough food and stay warm. I don't think he's ever had the chance to take care of anybody or had people care about him. Think he had a hard time growing up and feels the need to prove himself all the time. He carries a weight on his shoulders and probably feels that he has to do all these things to keep from being thrown out of the group. We would never do that, he means too much to us. We've never known Daryl to lie or be manipulative. He wouldn't know how to do those things. Whatever he said to you, I'd believe it to be true."

"He doesn't give himself enough credit," Melissa said. "He thinks he's this horrible human being that doesn't deserve anything nice. I've always thought of myself that way, but I don't know anymore. I've never been kissed before and I don't want to think it's more than it is. I don't want to think it meant something when it didn't."

"Daryl kissed you?" Lori asked. "Daryl Dixon? Squirrel hunting, crossbow carrying Daryl Dixon kissed you?"

"Yes," Melissa said shyly, now embarrassed.

"If Daryl kissed you, he meant it," Carol said and Lori agreed. "That man doesn't do anything he doesn't want to. He's stubborn and pig-headed, but he has compassion and love in his heart. He almost died looking for my little girl when she got lost in the woods. He was the only one who went out every day. He was the only one who never lost hope that we'd find her and she'd be alive. He's been a comfort to me since I lost her, and he's stayed and taken care of all of us when he could've left to be on his own. I know he would be more comfortable on his own, but he stayed because he didn't want to be alone any more. He needed to have people, and he got us."

"I think he sees a lot of himself in you. He knows what it is to be on the outside and want to be let in," Lori said. "His brother kept him down, kept him separated from people. He's finally been accepted and wants to pay it forward. He wants to help people and I think he's found a perfect subject in you. If he kissed you, it meant something to him. Don't expect too much though. He's still Daryl Dixon, and he will run and hide from things he doesn't understand. Give him time to work through this. It's a big thing that happened and I'm sure he's freaking out a little. That's why he went hunting with Rick. It gives him time to think and clear his mind. Don't let it bother you and don't think he doesn't care. He's just not good with feelings, most men aren't. Daryl's a little more 'emotionally retarded' than most men though."

"I don't know how I feel about it either. It was great. I've never been kissed before, and I didn't expect it. I just don't want to expect too much. I don't know why he did it, but I'm not gonna do anything about it. I'm not gonna bring it up. If he ever wants to talk about it, that's fine. But I'm not ready for that either." She tried to convince herself that everything she said was true, but she knew it wasn't. She desperately wanted to see him, talk to him, and kiss him. She knew she was fucked. Thoughts of him would never leave her mind. None of the women said another word on the subject, just washed their clothes in silence. Melissa noticed that most of the clothes in her pile belonged to Daryl.


	12. Chapter 12

Thanks for all the favs and follows. You guys rock. Here is another one. Hope you enjoy! Let me know what you think.

"A man should never take advice from another man in matters of love. Especially if he want that love to live" - Some really smart woman

Chapter 12

Rick and Daryl didn't say a word to each other for the first ten minutes of their trek. He was fidgety and couldn't concentrate on what he was doing. He knew Daryl would never tell him unless he asked. "How did Melissa do on the run?"

"She did fine," Daryl replied. "I knew she would. Girl's impressive against walkers. She took down two at once, had a knife in each hand. I think that when it's time for us to move on, we should take her with us. She'd be a good asset. She can protect the group, defend herself and she ain't a half bad hunter either."

"Well, looks like Daryl Dixon is impressed," Rick said smiling the whole time. He wasn't the only one who noticed that the two had been getting along better. He was glad that Daryl had been able to put his attitude and anger aside for the group. Although, he often said he would be better on his own, Rick knew that the man was beginning to feel a part of things, as if he belonged with the group. Daryl was an asset too, their biggest asset, Rick believed. He and Daryl had gotten closer in the last few weeks since the farm. With Shane gone, he had come to rely heavily on Daryl and his abilities. He had even sought advice from the quiet man a time or two. "You're right though. I agree with you. She's a strong woman, physically and mentally. She's sharp as a tack, very aware of her surroundings. I think she's starting to warm up to us too."

"She is," Daryl said as he kept pretending to track a deer. "Told me she's tired of being alone, said she wants to be a part of our family. I already asked her to join us. Figured you wouldn't mind. Everybody seems to like her and we're starting to get along. I think she'd be a good team player. We need her Rick." The leader stopped walking and just watched the other man He was in his element here. He felt comfortable; maybe this was why Daryl was offering more than grunts and nods.

"So you two are doing more than just getting along and being civil to each other?" Rick asked expectantly.

"What the fuck you mean by that? Ain't nothing going on between us. I can just see the value in another warm, capable body." Daryl replied to Rick's accusatory tone.

"Calm down man, I didn't mean nothing like that. Just noticed ya been talking to her. I knew ya could do it. It ain't that hard to do when ya wanna, now is it? By the way, how capable is her warm body?" Rick smiled slyly and whacked Daryl on the shoulder as he walked past him.

"Dammit Rick! I done told ya . . . "

"I know," Rick said interrupting his friend's insistence. "Besides the herd, how'd the run go? What's that housing development look like?"

"Seemed okay. Weren't too many walkers around. Only found one in the house where we stayed. Only a few are done though, most of 'em need to be finished, some were barely started."

"Do you think that should be a consideration? A place like that I mean. If we could clean it out, make repairs, maybe find some building material? Could we make it work?"

"Maybe, wouldn't take much to secure the finished houses. Might be able to find enough of them for all of us. Don't know for sure. Guess we could give it a try."

"We should discuss it in greater detail. Maybe you and I draw up some plans. You know what it looks like; you can tell me what needs to be done."

"Sure. We should get Glenn, Maggie, and Melissa in on this too. They were there, same as I was. They might have some ideas."

"Maybe tonight, after dinner. We can get together and throw some shit around, see what sticks." Daryl didn't respond. He just kept walking, looking for that deer. "Anything else happen out there? Ya'll have to hear Glenn and Maggie going at it?

"Naw, thank God. They started getting handsy with each other and Melissa and I went to do a perimeter check. They were making her uncomfortable, me too" Daryl sighed and stopped walking. He looked behind him and saw a fallen tree big enough to sit on, so he sat. He put his bow on the ground and ran his fingers through his hair. "Rick, if I tell ya something, will ya promise not to tell anybody or laugh at me?"

"Of course Daryl." He sat next to him on the tree trunk. "We're family; I wouldn't risk ruining that to gossip. Besides, I laugh at you, I'm sure I'll have an arrow up my asshole."

"Damn straight you would. I'd pin ya to a tree with it," he said laughing at the image.

"What happened Daryl? Is everything okay?"

"Fuck, I don't know. While Maggie and Glenn were taking first watch, Melissa and I went to sleep on the pull out couch. When they came back to wake us up, I had my arms around her, and her head was on my chest. I guess we both kinda freaked out. Anyway, I ended up telling her, well . . . shit. Remember a couple days ago when we took Carl out hunting?" Rick nodded his head in acknowledgement. "Well, I went down to the brook to wash up. When I's done, I heard her coming. Don't know why I did it, but I ran across to the other side of the brook and hid in the bushes. She didn't know I's there. I sat there hiding like a fucking depraved psyco and watched her strip, wash, and touch herself. I fucking rubbed one out to it." Rick's eyes were as big as saucers.

"You did what?" Rick was amazed. He didn't know what was weirder, the fact that Daryl did that or the fact that he was telling him about it.

"I ain't never seen a woman like her before, man. She's . . . just . . . no words for that. Anyway, she make a comment about her being ugly or something and I told her she weren't. Told her she's beautiful. And then . . . I kissed her."

"Wait a minute. This happened on the run?"

"Yup. Haven't really talked to each other since. What am I supposed to do? Do I need to say something? Do I need to do something? If I ignore it, will it go away?"

"If she's planning on coming with us, ya better say something. That kinda shit could make the whole group awkward. How did it happen? Did ya mean to do it? Was it an accident? What did she do? Do you love her?" Rick's questions came at lightning speed. Daryl couldn't process it all at once; he just stuck his thumb in his mouth like always.

"Well, I reckon I meant to do it. Don't do much that I don't wanna. She didn't really do anything. Didn't really kiss me back or nothing. Don't think she's ever done that before. Hell, I barely ever done it myself. I can't even think those words, much less say 'em. Don't know how I feel. I like her. She's smart, strong, beautiful, voice like a fucking angel and she's got the sexiest body I ever seen. Don't know if that's love or not. Don't really want to know right now either. Just can't stop thinking about her, about what happened. She told me she liked waking up next to me, said that it was nice. I don't wanna fuck this up for the group. I'm in over my head Rick. What the fuck am I supposed to do?"

The dead rising and coming back to eat them, had shocked Rick Grimes a little, but what he just heard was the most shocking thing he'd ever experienced. This was the most Daryl had ever spoken to him, probably the most he had ever spoken to anyone, he had confided in him. He had taken a risk, a significant risk by Daryl's standards, and trusted him with what could be the most important event in his life. Rick was speechless. He felt a great weight on his heart and mind. Being the leader/dictator was a cakewalk compared to this. "Uh, I think you need to find out how she feels. Maybe tell her what you told me? Hell, Daryl, I don't know. I haven't had to deal with this shit in fifteen years. Lori, she kinda took charge in that department. All I knew was that I wanted to kiss her, hear her voice, stare into her eyes and smell her hair every chance I got. Everything else was a blur. Next thing I know, I'm buying a ring and wearing a fucking tux. I'm shit at this type of advice man, but I will tell you this." He paused to find the right words. "If what you said is true, all those things you said about her, then you obviously care about her. That's a start. Just keep doing what you're doing. Don't treat her any differently. I know that sounds like total bullshit, and I am pulling all of this out of my ass, but give her a chance to respond. If she comes to you first about it, all you have to do is follow her lead. And stop thinking about the group so much. Do this for yourself and for her. Ya'll both deserve something of your own."

Neither said anything after that. They continued to walk through the woods for a bit until their stomachs started to protest. Daryl was able to get about a half dozen squirrels before they got back to the cabin. Herschel was sitting on the front steps whittling while Beth sat next to him singing softly. Daryl looked around for Melissa, but didn't see her. He took his squirrels around back and started preparing them for one of the women to cook. Maybe he'd make jerky out of them instead, he thought. He heard feminine giggles coming from behind him and turned to see who it was. Lori, Carol, and Melissa emerged from the woods with baskets of clothes in their arms. While Melissa watched the ground as she walked, the other two woman looked Daryl right in the eyes and smiled.


End file.
